Metallic shower-bath cabinet



Patented Oct. 18, 1938 PATENT OFFICE METALLIC SHOWER-BATH CABINET Frank T. Winston, Forest Hills, Long Island, N. Y., assignor, by mcsne assignments, to Shower Sales Corporation Application December 27, 1937, Serial No. 181,838

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in metallic shower-bath cabinets, and comprises a continuation-impart of my prior patent application; Serial No. 120,643, filed January 15th, 1937.

One of the objects of this invention is to produce a portable, knock-down shower-bath cabinet which will be composed of a minimum number of simple parts capable of being readily, quickly and easily assembled and dis-assembled without tools by unskilled labor and also capable of being manufactured at a low cost.

Another object of my invention is to provide an interlocking connection between wall members and base members which will provide an interlocking connection or joint that will be more secure and stable than interlocking connections heretofore made, and furthermore, will provide, at the bottom edge, an inwardly-extending watershedding apron which will avoid cracks Within -30 which water may penetrate to cause corrosion.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined as to coact and co-operate with each other in the per- 5 formance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprises in one of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a view in perspective of a cabinet embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal view on the line 2--2 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2 partially broken away at the middle of the cabinet;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows, the middle part of the cabinet being broken away:

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section showing my interlocking connection or joint between the side walls and the bottom or base of the cabinet.

Referring now to the drawing, I indicates a base member comprising a rectangular frame having at its lower end integrally-formed foot portions I and at its upper end vertically-extending anges la. Within the base member I is fitted and supported a pan 2, the bottom 2 of which extends transversely and is disposed intermediately between the foot portion I' and the top of the flanges Ia while the side walls 2* of the pan abut the inner surface of the base member I andi form a shoulder 2d and are spaced from the flanges I of the base member to provide a groove 3 therebetween. The bottom of the pan 2 is provided, at its center, with a drain-opening 2.

The bottom of the pan 2 is also preferably sup- 5 ported intermediate its center and edges by -Z- shaped reinforcing members 4 which extend completely around the drain opening and in parallel relationship to the 'walls of the cabinet and the base member.

In my cabinet, in order to reduce the number of parts and simplify the construction, I preferably provide opposite side-wall members 4n having edges formed to provide integral door-frame stile-casings. These side-wall members will be interchangeable one with the other, thus greatly increasing the facility with which my cabinet may be erected and dismantled, and also enabling the provision, at the factory, of holes h, h' for the faucet connections in one of such side-wall members so that when the cabinet is erected, the interchangeable side-walls having the faucet-holes may be disposed in the necessary position, i. e., either at the right or left-hand side of the cabinet, to enable ready connection with the faucet connections, it being understood that in bath cabinets, it is often necessary to position the faucet connections at the right-hand or left-hand side of the cabinet.

When. erected in proper relationship to the Water supply, the stile-casing at the outer edge of each side-Wall member will provide an effective and efficient door-frame stile while the stilecasing at the opposite rear edge, the provision of which enables the interchangeability of such side-wall members as above indicated, will also provide a more stable and firm construction which reinforces the rear-Wall. 'I'hese opposite inwardly-projecting stile members also cooperate with the interlocking-connecting members at the bottom of the cabinet so that by mere insertion, into the cooperating grooves, of the interlocking connections at the lower edge of the side-wall members an initial erection of both side-wall members may be effected and the rear- Wall may then be readily and easily applied and fastened to produce a strong interlocked and fastened construction.

In the embodiment illustrated, each of the stile-casings 5 of the side-wall members is composed of an intermediate rectangularly-bent face-portion 5', an inwardly-turned intermediate rectangularly-bent edge-plate 5, another intermediate rear-plate 5b parallel with the face-plate 5' and a terminal flange 5 extending parallel 55 to the edge-plate 5* so as to form a box-shaped stile-casing of rugged and strong construction for the provision, as aforesaid, ef a doorway on which a door may be hung, if desired, without difllculty.

In accordance with my present invention, the bottom portion of each of my side-wallmembers 4, of the typev speciiied, is provided, as more particularly shown in Fig. 5, with an outside groovemaking strip d having an outside attaching strip 5e connected to the outer surface of the walls by welds 6d, an outwardly-extending intermediate shoulder portion 5d and a downwardly-projecting flange 5f spaced from the outside surface of the bottom part 6b of the wall 6 to provide a groove 5l into which is inserted the flange 2c of the pan while the said outside flange'it is inserted within the groove 3 and the bottom part 6b of said Wall 6 terminates in abutment at 6 with the bottom of the pan 2. A double interlocking connection is thus formed in which the flange 5f interlocks with the spaced flanges of the base member and pan and the flange 2 of the panis interlocked between the flange 5f and the outerA surface of the wall 6. By the provision of the strip 5d and flange 5f on the outside of the bottom of the wall, the inner surface of thewall is free of projections and sheds water fromI the internal surface of the walls and permits extension of said bottom part of the wall down to the bottom of the pan. Thus', when the parts are so constructed, a water-shedding and non-leaking construction is formed which will deflect Water to the center of the pan and will not permit water to contact with the interlocking connections so as to produce corrosion. Furthermore, the flange on the outside surface of the bottom of my side-wall member not only produces a strong reinforcement for the bottom edges of the wall members and enables an eilicient frictional interlock to be produced at the connection between the said wall members and the base, but prevents any possible leakage of water to the outside of the cabinet.-

The rear wall member 6 simply comprises a fiat panel having similar bottom interlocking connections and adapted to flt between rear stilecasings and is preferably provided along its sideedges with .bent-up stile-casings 6' adapted to fit over and conform to the edge sections of the stilecasings of the side-wall members so as to close such edges of the construction against the admission of water and the like.

The top edges of the side-wall members are each provided with horizontal reinforcing flanges 4b produced by bending an intermediate portion inwardly and folding the marginal edge on said bent portion, and the rear-wall member is provided with similar horizontal reinforcing flanges 6.

To complete the construction, a sill member 1 having an interlocking connection comprising a double flange 1 and an inturned water shedding flange 1* in all respects similar to those hereinabove described, is positioned over and interlocked with the flanges of the p'an and base member to provide a brace therefore as well as completely closing the groove 3, and a top rail member 8 of angle-bar formation is seated on the opposite stile-casings with its depending ange 8 abutting the outer face-plates thereof and, as shown, is lfastened to the top flanges by plates S.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A metallic bath cabinet embodying, in combination, base and pan members fastened together and provided with interlocking elements comprising vertically-extending flanges spaced to form inner and outer walls of an upwardly-opening groove extending around said base and pan members, and vertical wall members each having interlocking elements engageable with the interlocking elements of said base and pan members and comprising an outside welded strip having a downwardly-extending interlocking flange spaced from the outer surface of the wall and in interlocking position engaging within said upwardly-opening groove in the base and pan members, said wall having an uninterrupted surface extending on the inside of the cabinet below said interlocking members into contact with the bottom of the pan to shed water from the upper surface of said wall members to the pan and to prevent leakage of water sprayed within the cabinet to the outside thereof.

2. A metallic bath cabinet embodying, in combination, base and pan members fastened together and provided with interlocking elements comprising vertically-extending flanges spaced to form inner and outer walls of an upwardly-opening groove extending around said base and pan members, and vertical wall members each having interlocking elements engageable with the interlocking elements of said base and pan members and comprising an outside welded strip having a downwardly-extending interlocking flange spaced from the outer surface of the wall and in interlocking position engaging within said upwardlyopening groove in the base and pan members, said Wall having an uninterrupted surface extending FRANK T. WINSTON. 

